Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine submitted his 2025 Recommended Operating Budget. The budget addresses critical staffing shortages, sweeping changes to the county’s cyber security and IT infrastructure, rising employee healthcare costs, and the County Executive’s commitment to making Suffolk County safer and more affordable. The fiscally responsible budget does not pierce the New York State property tax cap.
“This fiscally responsible budget addresses the critical needs of our county and ensures the safer and more affordable Suffolk that all residents deserve,” said Romaine.
Among the highlights of the budget include:
- Additional police officers, detectives, and deputy sheriffs which bolster the ranks and keep our communities safe.
- Additional funding and staffing for the district attorney’s office Gilgo investigation and cold case unit.
- Investment for major infrastructure projects for sewers, park improvements, and open space acquisition.
- Providing funding to address the County’s infrastructure, including many buildings and facilities.
- Integrating the county’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) into the Department of Fire
Rescue and Emergency Services. This measure centralizes emergency management policies for a more effective and streamlined response to major events and removes duplicative costs.
- Bringing the 311 call center into the County Executive’s office for faster, better, and streamlined constituent services. Before the Romaine administration took office, wait times on 311 were longer than one hour. Changes that were implemented have now greatly improved, with wait times less than five minutes in most cases.
- The creation of a centralized grants office that will seek, identify, pursue, and administer grants for all departments and services.
- Improvements to the Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) that streamline customer service and ticket processing.
- Continuing Veteran’s Court, which allows the opportunity to receive guidance and assistance in any traffic matter past or pending, as well as connect with Veteran’s Services.
- Funding for increased staffing in departments throughout the county, including the Departments of Public Works, Department of Social Services, and Child Protective Services which were woefully understaffed.
“I will work closely with the Suffolk County Legislature to implement this budget to deliver improved government services and hold the line on taxes,” said Romaine. “My 2025 Operating Budget addresses many areas that were neglected in the past.”
The budget also addresses the major changes needed to continue recovery from the 2022 cyber- attack that crippled county operations.
“This budget includes funding to hire an internal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) as well as a virtual CISO to provide redundancy and additional cybersecurity. “My job is to protect the taxpayers of Suffolk County. That is what we are doing with this budget.”
The budget was submitted to the Suffolk County Legislature on Friday, September 20 as per the county charter. This is the first time since 2021 that it has been submitted timely. The Budget will be adopted by the Legislature on November 6, 2024, following review by members of the Suffolk County Legislature.
Under Romaine, the county this year received a bond rating upgrade.
“We must continue this forward momentum by focusing on smart budgeting practices,” said Romaine. “As Town of Brookhaven Supervisor, I never pierced the state tax cap while delivering improved government services and a solid bond and credit rating each year. Suffolk County will be stronger with my administration’s 2025 Operating Budget.